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A little girl with leukaemia has marked her eighth birthday in isolation, complete with a homemade cake and a magician performing tricks over a video call.

Diagnosed with leukaemia – cancer of the white blood cells – in January 2019, because of her compromised immune system, little Maia Blue has been self-isolating since March 16 with her mum, Tania, 44, who works for the JobCentre, and her sister, Saamiyah, 13.

Classed as vulnerable due to the Covid-19 virus, Maia has been advised not to leave home for 12 weeks, meaning her mum had an unusual party to plan for her birthday on April 2 – with all her friends and family also in lockdown and no one outside their household allowed to attend.

Maia at her birthday (Image: PA Real Life/Collect)

Single mum Tania, who has an older daughter psychology student Gaia, 21, and lives in Haringey, North London, said: “We were going to plan a proper birthday bash, but then this happened and we were totally stuck.

“I actually baked a birthday cake, which I never do, but we did it together, and it turned out alright! It was a sponge cake with lemon icing, sweet confetti inside it and Maia’s name written in chocolate drops with ingredients dropped round by family.

“We had ‘happy birthday’ balloons up, and she had presents including two Nintendo switch games and a Tik Tok t-shirt, which I ordered online.”

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She continued: “We also had some nice food and we FaceTimed her friends, so they could be involved and she could see them.

“We had a little party just the three of us. We made the most of things.

“And Spread a Smile, a children’s charity that provides entertainment for seriously ill kids in London, even found us a magician, who performed some tricks for Maia on a video call.”

“When she was first in hospital, they sent a singer to see her and provided her with some craft materials. They have since taken her to the theatre to see Aladdin, Mary Poppins and the Lion King, where she’s met the actors and got their autographs,” Tania added.

“It’s great that they’re still finding ways of helping kids during lockdown, too, and the magician made her birthday really special.

“It was not how we expected to celebrate, but we didn’t have any other option and we had a lovely time.”

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Once she was discharged, Maia was started on chemotherapy, which she will continue to have until February 2021.

Every three months she returns to Whittington Hospital as an outpatient to have a chemo drug injected into her spine, while also taking two types of oral chemotherapy drug at home six times a week.

“She had a port fitted into her side to put medication and chemotherapy drugs into her system and she also has chemotherapy through a needle, or a ‘wiggly’ as they call it, directly into her spine,” Tania explained.

“She will have to have this for two years, then hopefully she will be in remission and will only have to go every three months for check-ups. They seem optimistic about her prognosis,” she added.

Maia (Image: PA Real Life/Collect)

“She has had little relapses, where she has had to be admitted to hospital. The last time, at the beginning of the year, she was in excruciating pain at the point where her port is and, unsure if it was an infection, she had to be put on antibiotics.

“There have been times when her platelets have been really low, too, so she has needed a blood transfusion.”

“When she has the chemo in her back that does knock her out for a week or so. She also has to use crutches, because it leaves her in pain,” Tania explained.

The worst thing for Maia, according to her mum, was when her hair started to fall out at the start of her treatment.

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“She had it in cornrows, or braids, and each plait would just come off, which was really hard, for both of us,” Tania recalled.

“I shaved my head as well to try and help her feel confident about herself.

“Her hair has grown back now. But it was growing slower than mine, so I had to keep shaving my head again so we could be at the same stage together all the way.

“It was my way of helping her to build her confidence.”

Maia before she lost her hair (Image: PA Real Life/Collect)

Tania said that, before Covid-19, Maia had been going to school – having returned in September 2019, after eight months during which she had been too poorly to attend.

“Her school was amazing,” said Tania. “The headteacher and class teacher came to see her in hospital, the children made her a special card and they would Facetime her, so she could keep in touch with them.”

But, since March 16, Tania, Maia and Saamiyah have been staying home to reduce the risk of the little girl catching Covid-19, which would almost certainly see her being hospitalised.

“Maia understands what is going on with Covid-19. She knows that there is a virus and that she is vulnerable because of her immune system and why we can’t go out at all. She’s a smart girl,” said Tania.

“We’ve been inside for more than five weeks now, and although we are going a little stir crazy, we are grateful to have a garden.

“The kids are doing their schoolwork, they are exercising and we’re coming up with games to play and television shows to watch.”

Tania added: “We know we don’t have a choice so are trying to make the best of it. The consequences if she got it do not bear thinking about.”

And, unlike for most people, the end of lockdown will not mean isolating is over for the family.

“Even if the restrictions are lifted, we have to stay isolated for three months, because she is classed as vulnerable so will be going nowhere until at least June 9,” Tania explained.

“So far, we’ve been out once to go to the hospital for her chemotherapy. We went in the car wearing our gloves and masks. She was the only child in the clinic at the time.

“All of the inpatients have been moved from the children’s ward to GOSH because the children’s ward is being used as a Covid ward.”

Maia and Tania (Image: PA Real Life/Collect)

Usually, when celebrating Maia’s birthday, the family would go out for a meal or they would host a party for her friends.

Thank you so much to the lovely Jade Thirlwall from @LittleMix for sending us this fabulous clip for #smiletv. It’s definitely spreading smiles and cheer!

But they were happy with the stripped back celebration they enjoyed this year – and plan to make up for it later on.

“Maia was really good and did understand,” said Tania.

“Once this is over, we are going to have a big celebration, as my other daughter turned 13 in March and my birthday is in June, so we will all be having birthdays in isolation.”

Tania said: “The thought of months of isolation still ahead of us is challenging, but we have to make the most of it and try and keep our spirits up.

“I know there are other families going through this and it’s important to take it day by day. It’s pigeon steps, but we know we have to do this to stay safe.”

Maia and Tania (Image: PA Real Life/Collect)

Lucy Jackson, CEO of Spread a Smile, said: “At Spread a Smile, the personal touch is really important to us and we had to think long and hard about how we can continue to personalise our service even if we’re only able to do it digitally.”

Lucy continued: “That’s why we’ve also launched Smile Spaces, where, at a pre-arranged time, we bring together a child and their parent in hospital, their family at home and one of our fantastic entertainers in their own home for a bespoke ‘virtual’ visit.

“It’s a really special experience for all the family who at this time aren’t able to visit each other due to lockdown conditions.

“We’re also sending pre-recorded virtual video greetings to children and teenagers celebrating birthdays or treatment milestones.”

The charity has also launched Smile TV, where they regularly upload videos of entertainers for kids to enjoy.